News
Version 2.0 of H2ONetLive
PraxSoft, Inc. has announced a new release, Version 2.0 of their SensorActive™ H2ONetLive hydrological monitoring software. H2ONetLive is a Web-based software application, which provides users with real-time information from site-specific sensor devices. Using a combination of hardware and software, the SensorActive™ product measures sensor data including, water level, pressure, temperature, flow and nutrient levels. This data is collected, transmitted and stored, then made available for viewing and analysis via the Web application.
H2ONetLive includes functionality to access real-time and historical data, to show graphical representations or trends, to set alarms and to keep track of maintenance activities. Users are granted privileges, according to their job responsibilities, and have access to pertinent data to help them better manage water resources.
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Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs)
PraxSoft, Inc. has announced a new release, Version 4.0, of their Sensor-based AgNetLive monitoring system. AgNetLive provides a Web-based decision support system that collects real-time data from wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) distributed throughout commercial fields and farms. AgNetLive uses the PraxSoft Active™ Series, which combines unique hardware, software and communications to support accurate and timely remote data collection. Wireless sensor nodes have built-in intelligence to collect, communicate, and analyze environmental data. The real-time data can be used to better schedule irrigation and fertilizer application to reduce operating costs and to promote environmental sustainability.
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Tracking Wildfire Suppression Resources for Florida’s Department of Forestry
PraxSoft’s AssetActive Management System includes two separate tracking devices, the Vehicle Tracking Device (VTD) and the Detachable Tracking Device (DTD). Associated firmware, software and cabling are a part of the product package as well. Each device has been installed in Department of Forestry first-line fire suppression vehicles throughout the state. The VTDs transmit latitude, longitude, speed, heading and battery voltage data through the legacy radio communication system the Department has in place. Each DTD is associated with a VTD and identified by NodeIDs. The DTDs are intended for personnel use and have the ability to measure and transmit additional sensor information including: acceleration, temperature and tilt.
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Stormwater Utilities
PraxSoft’s SensorActive solution was introduced and implemented at various lakes within the City of Orlando in 2005 and has recently been expanded to be used for hydrological monitoring at a majority of the City’s lakes. SensorActive integrates environmental monitoring with state-of-the-art communications technologies to enable early warning and continual monitoring of assets. SensorActive delivers the real-time information Orlando’s Stormwater Utility needs to improve environmental data collection, land use and remote monitoring.
SensorActive helps the Stormwater Utility Department gather important data on rainfall amounts and water levels to gain a clearer picture of pollutant sources and to better meet the state’s Water Quality Standards. Since most of the pollutants entering urban lakes are generated from stormwater runoff, the City uses rainfall data to determine the actual amounts of pollutants from the different lake watersheds. This information is then used to prioritize stormwater retrofit projects to reduce pollutant loading to the lakes.
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McKenna MOUT
The McKenna MOUT facility at FT. Benning, GA is using PraxSoft’s AssetActive RFID solution to automate equipment assignment and inventory. AssetActive enables the McKenna facility to track personnel and equipment with limited staff.
In an effort to better train and equip the warfighter, the Soldier Battle Lab’s (SBL) McKenna MOUT facility at FT. Benning GA has established an instrumented urban environment that facilitates the collection and analysis of data to improve training and promote force protection. During the experiments, run on a routine basis, McKenna must assign, reassign and collect equipment daily. AssetActive is making the job is easier by automating assignment, authorization and collection.
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Orlando Regional Hospital System
Orlando Regional Healthcare’s uses the WeatherActive system to gain more
accurate, on-site weather information during both emergencies and daily operations. During a hurricane or other weather events, wind speed, rainfall, temperature and other conditions can vary at each of their facilities. WeatherActive provides the monitoring technology to help the hospital personnel make decisions during emergency operations mode such as patient evacuations and facility management issues.
Using the WeatherActive system from PraxSoft, hospitals, clinics, and research facilities have access to real-time meteorological data from their location—not a National Weather Service site or airport several miles away that may only report hourly. As dangerous conditions develop, built-in alarms will page, email, or fax to alert Operations and Technical Services of potential hazards. Hospital personnel use this valuable information to aid in decision making. As an added benefit, staff, visitors and the community may also access WeatherActive’s data from each hospital on the Orlando Regional corporate Web site.
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City of Orlando
Events like chemicals spills and industrial accidents can happen anytime. They have long been safety concerns. Now there are other dangers, perhaps even more challenging. In the City of Orlando safety officials reliably monitor on-site conditions to prepare and respond to natural and man-made events with weather and sensor products from PraxSoft.
Temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and wind direction are all collected from the City of Orlando’s WeatherActive network. Weather stations, mounted at select fire stations, provide a top-level view of conditions throughout the city. The Fire Department’s HAZMAT van comes equipped with a mobile weather station to provide essential on-site measurements like wind speed and wind direction for chemical, biological and radiological analysis. Real-time measurements from geographically distributed wind sensors help to keep emergency response efforts moving even during severe weather and hurricanes.
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Mobile Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Tracking
The landscape and terrain on which military conflicts are fought is changing. No longer are battles won or lost in rural areas. Battlefields have moved into the urban environment where the enemy is mixed in with a civilian population. To better equip and train soldiers in these environments, the US military is establishing more realistic training scenarios with the hardware and software to provide improved visibility of a soldier’s movement and actions. At the McKenna Range in Fort Benning, PraxSoft recently deployed indoor tracking devices and a 2-D GIS-based program to show real-time tracking of live soldier entities. The system integrates location and status from vehicles and soldiers into a GIS featured map with buildings, elevation terrain, and live soldier identification to monitor the actions being performed in both real-time and post experiment through play back. These types of exercises and their after action review better equip the soldier with the skills necessary to carry out a successful mission.